Method and system for synchronizing a server and an on-demand database service

• US 8,762,329 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Salmon, Greg, Hopkins, Chris, Verma, Anant, Collins, Jesse, Weissman, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US13/475,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/612, 707/620, 707/623
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file 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: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for synchronizing a server and an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for synchronizing a server and an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to synchronize a larger amount of data. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature can enable more effective synchronization of a user-level sharing entity database with a multi-user on-demand database service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to update data of a user of a multi-user on-demand database service, wherein the data of the user is stored by the on-demand database service on a multi-tenant on-demand database system;

identifying data stored by a first server separate from the on-demand database service, the data being relevant to the user;

utilizing a data structure stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to determine, by a processor, a difference between the data stored on the first server and the data stored by the on-demand database service,

wherein the data structure includes;

a plurality of user identifiers, wherein each user identifier identifies one of a plurality of users of the on-demand database service, and

a plurality of data identifiers, wherein each data identifier correlates with at least one of the user identifiers and identifies data accessible to the user associated with the correlated user identifier; and

periodically and/or on-demand, synchronizing the first server and the on-demand database service, based on the determined difference, wherein the synchronizing includes updating the data stored by the on-demand database service with at least a portion of the data stored by the first server that is determined to be different from the data stored by the on-demand database service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server communicates data to at least one second server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-demand database service communicates data to a third server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one second server includes at least one slave server, and the third server includes a master server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of the second servers are included.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the second servers is allocated to a different subset of the users.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one second server and the third server each communicate with a database server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the database server is coupled between the at least one second server and the third server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer readable medium is a component of the database server.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the first server and the second server communicate utilizing a collaborative authoring protocol.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the third server and the on-demand database service communicate utilizing a web service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference is determined by identifying a subset of the data that is accessible to the user, utilizing the data structure.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the difference is further determined by comparing a current state of the data subset with a previous state of the data subset.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure includes a first table.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a second table includes the data identifiers each correlated with corresponding data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second table is used in conjunction with the first table for access the data using the user identifiers.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server includes a user-level sharing entity.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server is a mail server and the identified data stored by the mail server that is relevant to the user includes contact information.

19. 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:

receiving a request to update data of a user of a multi-user on-demand database service, wherein the data of the user is stored by the on-demand database service on a multi-tenant on-demand database system;

identifying data stored by a first server separate from the on-demand database service, the data being relevant to the user;

utilizing a data structure stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to determine a difference between the data stored on the first server and the data stored by the on-demand database service,

wherein the data structure includes;

a plurality of user identifiers, wherein each user identifier identifies one of a plurality of users of the on-demand database service, and

a plurality of data identifiers, wherein each data identifier correlates with at least one of the user identifiers and identifies data accessible to the user associated with the correlated user identifier; and

periodically and/or on-demand, synchronizing the first server and the on-demand database service, based on the determined difference, wherein the synchronizing includes updating the data stored by the on-demand database service with at least a portion of the data stored by the first server that is determined to be different from the data stored by the on-demand database service.

20. 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;

receiving a request to update data of a user of a multi-user on-demand database service, wherein the data of the user is stored by the on-demand database service on a multi-tenant on-demand database system;

identifying data stored by a first server separate from the on-demand database service, the data being relevant to the user;

utilizing a data structure stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to determine a difference between the data stored on the first server and the data stored by the on-demand database service,

wherein the data structure includes;

a plurality of user identifiers, wherein each user identifier identifies one of a plurality of users of the on-demand database service, and

a plurality of data identifiers, wherein each data identifier correlates with at least one of the user identifiers and identifies data accessible to the user associated with the correlated user identifier; and

periodically and/or on-demand, synchronizing the first server and the on-demand database service, based on the determined difference, wherein the synchronizing includes updating the data stored by the on-demand database service with at least a portion of the data stored by the first server that is determined to be different from the data stored by the on-demand database service.