System, method and computer program product for messaging in an on-demand database service

• US 8,781,988 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Shanabrook, Susan Carol, Stevens, Richard Alan, Kimble, Ron H., Corson, Travis D., Cadden, Mike P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seck, Ababacar
• Application Number:
  US12/175,082
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 706/47
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for messaging in an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for messaging in an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to more flexibly message in on-demand database environments. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature may lead to enhanced messaging features which may be used for providing more effective ways of messaging in the context of on-demand databases.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to create an email address;

in response to the request to create the email address, creating the email address such that a domain portion of the email address includes an active user alias identification, and a static top level email domain, wherein the active user alias identification includes an encryption of a sequence of characters that identify an active user alias;

receiving a message sent to the email address using an on-demand database service, on behalf of a receiver to which the message is destined;

in response to receipt of the message, retrieving a security criterion from a portion of an on-demand database limited to information of the receiver, wherein the security criterion is configured by an administrator of the on-demand database service;

applying the security criterion to the message received on behalf of the receiver to determine whether the message successfully meets the security criterion, where the security criterion includes validation of an address of a sender of the message and further includes an anti-spam verification that is automatically enforced for all entities, such that the message is determined to successfully meet the security criterion when;

the address of the sender of the message is validated, and

the message is verified to be anti-spam;

only when it is determined that the message received on behalf of the receiver successfully meets the security criterion, retrieving a rule configured by the receiver for processing the message received on behalf of the receiver, wherein the rule is linked to the address of the sender of the message such that the rule is identified for retrieval using the validated address of the sender of the message; and

processing the message using the rule, wherein the rule includes sending the message to a predetermined portion of the on-demand database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the message by applying the rule retrieved.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein applying the rule includes creating a lead in the portion of the on-demand database based upon information contained in the message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein applying the rule includes sending the message to a case stored in the portion of the on-demand database.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein applying the rule includes creating a contact in the portion of the on-demand database based upon information contained in the message.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein applying the rule includes invoking a custom code to process the message.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising limiting processing resources used to process the message by applying a rate limit to a resource count tracked on behalf of processing the message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing the rule for processing the message from an application exchange platform.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received at the on-demand database service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the message includes at least one of a workflow approval, a mass email, a single email, a notification, a case email, a billing email, and a workflow request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes at least one of an email to create a new case, a thread to a previous email, an inquiry, and a customer support email.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-demand database service includes a multi-tenant on-demand database service.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the security criterion applied to the message received on behalf of the receiver includes an anti-virus verification.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule is configured to only be invoked in response to the validation of the address of the sender of the message received on behalf of the receiver.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is received by a first mail server of the on-demand database service, and the first mail server operates to:

add a header to the received message indicating whether the message successfully meets the security criterion; and

send the message with the header to a second mail server;

wherein the second mail server retrieves the rule based on the header.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an email.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a message account is set up and activated for the receiver, and the rule is further linked to the message account.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is discarded when it is determined that the message does not successfully meet the security criterion.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion of the on-demand database includes a particular file associated with information contained in the message that is stored in the portion of the on-demand database limited to the information of the receiver, such that the rule includes sending the message to the particular file that is stored in the portion of the on-demand database limited to the information of the receiver.

23. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving from the administrator of the on-demand database service a selection of rules, and a selection of security criteria to be enforced across the selected rules; and

in response to receiving the selection of rules and the selection of security criteria, identifying and installing a subset of packages from a plurality of packages, wherein the installation of the subset of packages is for supporting the rules and the security criteria selected by the administrator of the on-demand database service;

wherein the security criterion retrieved from the portion of the on-demand database is included in the selected security criteria, and the rule configured by the receiver is included the selected rules.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of packages includes a set of packages created by a partner of the on-demand database service.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain portion of the email address further includes an entity identification, and a user identification.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the security criterion is retrieved from the portion of the on-demand database only when the domain portion of the email address is first decrypted to extract the entity identification and the user identification.

13. 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 create an email address;

in response to the request to create the email address, creating the email address such that a domain portion of the email address includes an active user alias identification, and a static top level email domain, wherein the active user alias identification includes an encryption of a sequence of characters that identify an active user alias;

receiving a message sent to the email address using an on-demand database service, on behalf of a receiver to which the message is destined;

in response to receipt of the message, retrieving a security criterion from a portion of an on-demand database limited to information of the receiver, wherein the security criterion is configured by an administrator of the on-demand database service;

applying the security criterion to the message received on behalf of the receiver to determine whether the message successfully meets the security criterion, where the security criterion includes validation of an address of a sender of the message and further includes an anti-spam verification that is automatically enforced for all entities, such that the message is determined to successfully meet the security criterion when;

the address of the sender of the message is validated, and

the message is verified to be anti-spam;

only when it is determined that the message received on behalf of the receiver successfully meets the security criterion, retrieving a rule configured by the receiver for processing the message received on behalf of the receiver, wherein the rule is linked to the address of the sender of the message such that the rule is identified for retrieval using the validated address of the sender of the message; and

processing the message using the rule, wherein the rule includes sending the message to a predetermined portion of the on-demand database.

14. 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 create an email address;

in response to the request to create the email address, creating the email address such that a domain portion of the email address includes an active user alias identification, and a static top level email domain, wherein the active user alias identification includes an encryption of a sequence of characters that identify an active user alias;

receiving a message sent to the email address using an on-demand database service, on behalf of a receiver to which the message is destined;

in response to receipt of the message, retrieving a security criterion from a portion of an on-demand database limited to information of the receiver, wherein the security criterion is configured by an administrator of the on-demand database service;

applying the security criterion to the message received on behalf of the receiver to determine whether the message successfully meets the security criterion, where the security criterion includes validation of an address of a sender of the message and further includes an anti-spam verification that is automatically enforced for all entities, such that the message is determined to successfully meet the security criterion when;

the address of the sender of the message is validated, and

the message is verified to be anti-spam;

only when it is determined that the message received on behalf of the receiver successfully meets the security criterion, retrieving a rule configured by the receiver for processing the message received on behalf of the receiver, wherein the rule is linked to the address of the sender of the message such that the rule is identified for retrieval using the validated address of the sender of the message; and

processing the message using the rule, wherein the rule includes sending the message to a predetermined portion of the on-demand database.

15. A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code for receiving a request to create an email address;

transmitting code for creating the email address in response to receiving the request to create the email address, such that a domain portion of the email address includes an active user alias identification, and a static top level email domain, wherein the active user alias identification includes an encryption of a sequence of characters that identify an active user alias;

transmitting code for receiving a message sent to the email address using an on-demand database service, on behalf of a receiver to which the message is destined;

in response to receipt of the message, retrieving a security criterion from a portion of an on-demand database limited to information of the receiver, wherein the security criterion is configured by an administrator of the on-demand database service;

transmitting code for applying the security criterion to the message received on behalf of the receiver to determine whether the message successfully meets the security criterion, utilizing a processor, where the security criterion includes validation of an address of a sender of the message and further includes an anti-spam verification that is automatically enforced for all entities, such that the message is determined to successfully meet the security criterion when;

the address of the sender of the message is validated, and

the message is verified to be anti-spam;

transmitting code for only when it is determined that the message received on behalf of the receiver successfully meets the security criterion, retrieving a rule configured by the receiver for processing the message received on behalf of the receiver, wherein the rule is linked to the address of the sender of the message such that the rule is identified for retrieval using the validated address of the sender of the message; and

processing the message using the rule, wherein the rule includes sending the message to a predetermined portion of the on-demand database.