Method and system for validating configuration data in a multi-tenant environment

• US 8,566,449 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Guest, Ryan, Sureshchandra, Jayesh
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US13/090,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

Validation systems and methods are described to validate domain name services (DNS) or other configuration data for multiple network services provided by a common multi-tenant application server. A validation system suitably receives configuration data from the multi-tenant application server for each of the services provided. The validation system also performs a validation query to a domain name services or other public service on the network to obtain public data about each service. The publicly-available information is compared to the data received from the multi-tenant application server, and any anomalies are reported and/or repaired as appropriate.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executable by a validation system to validate domain name services data for a plurality of domains, wherein each of the plurality of domains refers to a separate service provided by a common multi-tenant application server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the validation system, the domain name services data for each of the plurality of domains from the common multi-tenant application server;

performing, for each of the plurality of domains, a domain name services query from the validation system to a public domain name services system;

receiving responses from the public domain name services system at the validation system in response to the domain name services queries, wherein each of the responses comprises domain name services information about one of the plurality of domains; and

comparing, for each of the domains, the domain name services data received from the common multi-tenant application server with the domain name services information received from the public domain name services system to thereby identify any domains having anomalies using the validation system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically repairing the anomalies between the domain name services data received from the common multi-tenant application server and the domain name services information received from the public domain name services system using the validation system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the repairing comprises directing a domain name services provider system to update the domain name services information for each of the domains having anomalies, wherein the domain name services provider system is configured to propagate changes in the domain name services information to the public domain name services system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the repairing further comprises directing the domain name services provider system to delete the domain name services information and to re-add the domain name services data received from the common multi-tenant application server for each domain having an anomaly.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a list of the anomalies as an output from the validation system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the domain name services data received from the common multi-tenant application server comprises data for domains hosted by a plurality of application servers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the domain name services query comprises at least one of an NSLOOKUP, a PING, a HOST, and a DIG query.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the domain name services data received from the common multi-tenant application server comprise internet protocol (IP) addresses corresponding to different applications provided by the multi-tenant application server, and wherein each of the different applications is referenced by a unique domain name.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the performing comprises performing a separate query for each of the unique domain names, and wherein the domain name services information in the response to each separate query comprises an internet protocol (IP) address for the unique domain name.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, for each of the unique domains in which the IP address provided by the multi-tenant application server differs from the IP address provided by the public domain name services system, directing a domain name services provider system to update the public domain name services system with the IP address provided by the multi-tenant application server for the unique domain.

11. A data processing system to provide a plurality of services on a network using a plurality of distinct domain names that are resolvable using a public domain name services system, the system comprising:

at least one application server having a first processor configured to provide at least some of the plurality of services via the network; and

a configuration validator having a second processor configured to;

communicate with the at least one application server to obtain address data for each of the plurality of distinct domain names;

perform, for each of the plurality of distinct domain names, a domain name services query to the public domain name services system;

receive responses from the public domain name services system comprising public address information about the plurality of distinct domain names; and

compare, for each of the plurality of distinct domain names, the address data received from the at least one application server with the address information received from the public domain name services system to thereby identify any of the plurality of distinct domain names used by the at least one application server having anomalies.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the configuration validator is further configured to automatically repair the anomalies between the address data received from the at least one application server and the public address information received from the public domain name services system.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the at least one application server is a multi-tenant application server, wherein each of the services correspond to applications associated with one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant application server, and wherein each of the services is provided by the multi-tenant application server in a unique one of the plurality of distinct domain names.

14. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the at least one application server comprises a plurality of multi-tenant application servers, wherein each of the services correspond to applications associated with one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant application servers, and wherein each of the services is provided by the multi-tenant application servers in a unique one of the plurality of distinct domain names.

15. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of multi-tenant application servers are configured to share address data for each of the plurality of distinct domain names with the other multi-tenant application servers, and wherein the configuration validator obtains the address data for all of the plurality of distinct domain names from one of the plurality of multi-tenant application servers.

16. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the configuration validator is a computer system distinct from the at least one application server.

17. A computer-implemented method executable by a validation system to validate configuration data for a plurality of services, wherein each of the plurality of services refers to a separate service provided by a common multi-tenant application server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the validation system, the configuration data for each of the plurality of services from the common multi-tenant application server;

performing, for each of the plurality of services, a query from the validation system to a publicly-available system;

receiving responses from the publicly-available system at the validation system in response to the queries, wherein each of the responses comprises information about one of the plurality of services; and

comparing, for each of the services using the validation system, the configuration data received from the common multi-tenant application server with the information received from the publicly-available system to thereby identify any services having anomalies between the configuration data and the information received from the publicly-available system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein each of the services are provided in a unique network domain identified by a domain name and a network address, and wherein the configuration data received from the multi-tenant application server comprises the network address for each of the unique network domain in which each of the services is provided.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising, for each of the unique network domains in which the network address provided by the multi-tenant application server differs from a second network address provided by the publicly-available system, automatically directing a domain name services provider system to update the publicly-available system with the network address provided by the multi-tenant application server for the unique domain.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a list of the anomalies as an output from the validation system.