Methods and systems for synchronizing data in a multi-tenant database environment

• US 8,572,029 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Ziemann, Tyler, Hang, James, Levine, Susan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US13/118,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 707609-626, 707634-640, 707654-661
• US Class Current: 707/610
• 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 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for synchronizing data in a database network system. These mechanisms and methods for synchronizing data in database network system can enable embodiments to provide users a synchronization button on a UI or synchronization field through an API for specifying data for synchronization. The ability of embodiments to provide users a synchronization button on a UI or synchronization field through an API for specifying data for synchronization can enable users to easily and efficiently change and update data in a database system.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing data in a multi-tenant database environment, the method comprising:

receiving at a host system, a request from a user system to synchronize a first object with a second object; and

as a result of the request, synchronizing the first object with the second object by at least after workflow, if a value stored in a first element of the first object changed, determining whether a second object is being synchronized to the first object;

if the second object is being synchronized to the first object, updating the second object, such that a second element that corresponds to the first element, but is in the second object, has a value that agrees with the value stored in the first element;

performing one or more tests whose results are indicative of whether a condition exists that leads to an infinite loop; and

if the condition is not detected, saving the updating.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a price book of the first object with a price book of the second object if both the first object and second object do not have any values stored in the elements, the price book having a list of items, each item having an associated price.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the synchronizing of the first object and second object includes at least deleting, updating, and inserting elements of the first object to agree with the second object, the deleting of elements includes at least removing data from fields from the first object to match a corresponding empty field from the second object, the inserting of elements includes at least adding data to fields of the first object to match a corresponding field containing data from the second object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is an opportunity, the opportunity including at least data associated with selling products to a customer, the opportunity being stored, in a portion of the database dedicated to the tenant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second object is a quote, the quote including at least sales information given to a customer, the quote being stored in a portion of the database dedicated to the tenant.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is an opportunity and has six or more elements, the elements including at least a quantity, a price, a discount, a service date, a revenue schedule, and a quantity schedule.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second object is a quote and has six or more elements, the elements including a quantity, a price, a discount, a service date, a revenue schedule, and a quantity schedule.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first object is an opportunity and the second object is a quote, each having at least six elements, the elements including at least a quantity, a price, a discount, a service date, a revenue schedule, and a quantity schedule.

9. The method of claim 1, the first object being an opportunity and the second object being a quote, the method further comprising:

checking whether a field for indicating which quote an opportunity is synchronized with has changed, if the field changed, set settings for opportunities to be unsynchronized from prior synchronizations, by at least

determining which opportunities should be synchronized with the quote,

setting a field for indicating whether a quote is being synchronized to false,

unsetting foreign keys of opportunity line items, the foreign keys pointing to which quote line items the opportunity line items were being synchronized with, and

unsetting schedule flags of quote line items;

updating values of settings for opportunities to be synchronized by at least,

retrieving a quote that is pointed to by a field for indicating which quote to synchronize an opportunity to,

setting the field for indicating whether a quote is being synchronized to true,

synchronizing quote elements with opportunity elements that are different,

deleting opportunity elements that are to be deleted,

synchronizing quote and opportunity price books if there are no elements stored in the first and second object, and

inserting opportunity elements if there are any to insert.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a user interface having a synchronization button to the user system, wherein receiving the request includes at least receiving an indication that the user selected the synchronize button.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is made by designating, via an application programming interface, the first object and second object for synchronization.

12. The method of claim 1, the first object being an opportunity and the second object being a quote, the method further comprising:

keeping the first object and second object continuously synchronized by at least,

after performing calculations for rollup summary fields and workflow,

when an opportunity price book of the opportunity is different than a quote price book of the quote, and when the opportunity has no line items, synchronizing the opportunity price book with the quote;

when a quote price book of the quote is different than an opportunity price book of the opportunity, and when the opportunity has no line items, synchronizing the quote price book with the opportunity;

when opportunity line items have elements differing from quote line items to which the opportunity line items are being synchronized, updating the opportunity line items to have the same data as the quote line items with differing elements;

when opportunity line items are deleted, synchronizing quote line items by deleting quote line items corresponding to the deleted opportunity line items;

when quote line items are inserted or updated, synchronizing the inserted or updated quote line items;

when quote line items are deleted, synchronizing opportunity line items by deleting opportunity line items corresponding to the deleted quote line items; and

when quote line items are undeleted, synchronizing opportunity line items by inserting opportunity line items to match the undeleted line items.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition that leads to an infinite loop is an attempt to perform a second synchronization within a single transaction.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining whether the attempt to perform a second synchronization within a single transaction includes at least

monitoring for whether an action is updating the parent opportunity of an opportunity line item while a synchronization is already ongoing,

monitoring for whether an action is updating a quote line item with data from an opportunity line item while a synchronization is already ongoing,

monitoring for whether an action is updating opportunity line item data with itself,

monitoring for whether an action is updating quote line item data with itself,

monitoring for whether an action is updating opportunity line item data with quote line item data while a synchronization is already ongoing, and

monitoring for whether an action is updating quote line item data while a synchronization is already ongoing.

15. A machine-readable medium storing thereon one or more instructions, which when implemented cause a processor to implement a method for synchronizing data in a multi-tenant database environment, the method comprising:

receiving at a host system, a request from a user system to synchronize a first object with a second object,

as a result of the request, synchronizing the first object with the second object by at least

after workflow, if a value stored in a first element of the first object changed, determining whether a second object is being synchronized to the first object;

if the second object is being synchronized to the first object, updating the second object, such that a second element that corresponds to the first element, but is in the second object, has a value that agrees with the value stored in the first element;

performing one or more tests whose results are indicative of whether a condition exists that leads to an infinite loop; and

if the condition is not detected, saving the updating.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising updating a price book of the first object with a price book of the second object if both the first object and second object do not have any values stored in the elements, the price book having a list of items, each item having an associated price.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein synchronizing of the first object and second object includes at least deleting, updating, and inserting elements of the first object to agree with the second object, the deleting of elements includes at least removing data from fields from the first object to match a corresponding empty field from the second object, the inserting of elements includes at least adding data to fields of the first object to match a corresponding field containing data from the second object.

18. A machine resident host system for synchronizing data in a multi-tenant database environment, the host system comprising:

a processor system,

a memory system including at least volatile memory, and non-volatile memory;

the non-volatile memory including at least one machine readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which when implemented causes the processor system to implement a method comprising;

receiving at a host system, a request from a user system to synchronize a first object with a second object,

as a result of the request, synchronizing the first object with the second object by at least after workflow, if a value stored in a first element of the first object changed;

determining whether a second object is being synchronized to the first object;

if the second object is being synchronized to the first object, updating the second object, such that a second element that corresponds to the first element, but is in the second object has a value that agrees with the value stored in the first element;

performing one or more tests whose results are indicative of whether a condition exists that leads to an infinite loop; and

if the condition is not detected, saving the updating.

19. The system of claim 18, the method further comprising updating a price book of the first object with a price book of the second object if both the first object and second object do not have any values stored in the elements, the price book having a list of items, each item having an associated price.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein synchronizing of the first object and second object includes at least deleting, updating, and inserting elements of the first object to agree with the second object, the deleting of elements includes at least removing data from fields from the first object to match a corresponding empty field from the second object, the inserting of elements includes at least adding data to fields of the first object to match a corresponding field containing data from the second object.