Contextual exception management in multi-tenant systems

• US 8,881,113 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Zheng, Zuye, Iry, James, Kulkarni, Nagraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, VIVA L
• Application Number:
  US13/396,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 717/127, 717/135
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for assigning exceptions in a multi-tenant system providing instances of a virtual application over a network to multiple tenants. One exemplary method of assigning an exception record corresponding to an anomalous condition identified by an instance of the virtual application involves obtaining context information associated with the anomalous condition from the instance of the virtual application and automatically assigning the exception record to a development entity based at least in part on the context information.

Claims

1. A method of assigning an exception record in a multi-tenant system providing instances of a virtual application over a network to a plurality of tenants, the exception record corresponding to an anomalous condition identified by an instance of the virtual application, the method comprising:

obtaining context information associated with the anomalous condition from the instance of the virtual application, the anomalous condition comprising an exception generated by a code segment of the virtual application during execution, wherein the context information is indicative of a state of an operating environment for the instance of the virtual application when the anomalous condition occurred and includes a code path that resulted in the anomalous condition; and

assigning the exception record to a development entity based at least in part on the context information, wherein assigning the exception record comprises;

assigning the exception record to a first development entity when the context information satisfies a first filter; and

when the context information does not satisfy the first filter;

automatically assigning the exception record to a second development entity by mapping the exception record to the second development entity based on a numerical representation of the anomalous condition, the numerical representation being based at least in part on the code path; and

after assigning the exception record to the second development entity, assigning the exception record to a third development entity when the context information satisfies a second filter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the exception record on a display device, wherein the graphical representation indicates the development entity assigned to the exception record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the exception record comprises setting a value of an assignment field of the exception record to a value corresponding to the development entity based on the context information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein setting the assignment field to the value comprises automatically setting the value of the assignment field to the value corresponding to the development entity when the context information satisfies a filter criterion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assigning the exception record to the first development entity comprises automatically setting an assignment field of the exception record to a first value corresponding to the first development entity when the context information satisfies a first filter criterion provided by the first filter; and

assigning the exception record to the second development entity comprises automatically setting the assignment field to a second value corresponding to the second development entity.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first field of the context information from a plurality of possible fields of the context information; and

providing a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of the first filter criterion for the first field, wherein assigning the exception record to the first development entity comprises automatically setting the assignment field to the first value when the first field of the exception record matches the first filter criterion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the exception record to the second development entity based at least in part on the context information comprises mapping the exception record to the second development entity based on a software module associated with the anomalous condition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the exception record to the first development entity comprises applying a pre-filter to automatically assign the exception record to the first development entity when a first field of the context information of the exception record satisfies a filtering criterion provided by the pre-filter.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first field of the context information from a plurality of possible fields of the context information;

providing a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first filter criterion for the first field;

providing a third graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first assignment field from a plurality of possible assignment fields; and

providing a fourth graphical user interface element enabling indication of an assignment value for the first assignment field, the assignment value corresponding to the first development entity, wherein assigning the exception record to the first development entity comprises automatically setting the first assignment field of the exception record to the assignment value when the first field of the exception record satisfies the first filter criterion.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the development entity of the exception record after automatically assigning the exception record.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the code segment is part of a software module of the virtual application, the software module generates the exception, and the exception indicates a point in the execution where the anomalous condition occurred.

11. A method of assigning an exception record in a multi-tenant system including an application server providing instances of a virtual application over a network to a plurality of tenants, the method comprising:

obtaining, by an exception management system from an instance of the virtual application executing on the application server, context information associated with an anomalous condition identified by the virtual application corresponding to the exception record, the anomalous condition comprising an exception generated by a code segment of the virtual application during execution, wherein the context information is indicative of a state of an operating environment for the instance of the virtual application when the anomalous condition occurred and includes a code path that resulted in the anomalous condition;

automatically assigning, by the exception management system, the exception record to a development entity based at least in part on the context information, wherein automatically assigning the exception record comprises;

applying one or more pre-filters to the exception record; and

when the one or more pre-filters fail to assign the exception record;

assigning the exception record to a first development entity in accordance with a default assignment scheme by mapping the exception record to the first development entity based on a numerical representation of the anomalous condition, the numerical representation being based at least in part on the code path; and

after assigning the exception record to the first development entity, applying a post-filter to assign the exception record to a second development entity; and

graphically indicating, by the exception management system, the exception record is assigned to the development entity within an application on a client device coupled to the network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

displaying, within the application, a first graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first field of the context information from a plurality of possible fields of the context information;

displaying, within the application, a second graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first filter criterion for the first field;

displaying, within the application, a third graphical user interface element enabling indication of a first assignment field from a plurality of possible assignment fields; and

displaying, within the application, a fourth graphical user interface element enabling indication of an assignment value for the first assignment field, the assignment value corresponding to the development entity, wherein assigning the exception record to the development entity comprises automatically setting the first assignment field of the exception record to the assignment value when the first field of the exception record matches the first filter criterion.

13. A multi-tenant system comprising:

an application server configured to provide an instance of a virtual application to a first tenant of a plurality of tenants over a network, the virtual application being configured to identify an anomalous condition and obtain context information associated with the anomalous condition, the anomalous condition comprising an exception generated by a code segment of the virtual application during execution, the context information being indicative of a state of an operating environment for the instance of the virtual application when the anomalous condition occurred and including a code path that resulted in the anomalous condition, wherein the application server comprises processing hardware; and

an exception management system coupled to the application server, wherein the exception management system is configured to create a record maintaining an association between the anomalous condition and the context information and automatically assign the record to a development entity based at least in part on the context information by;

automatically assigning the exception record to a first development entity when the context information satisfies a pre-filter; and

when the context information does not satisfy the pre-filter;

automatically assigning the exception record to a second development entity in accordance with a default assignment scheme by mapping the exception record to the second development entity based on a numerical representation of the anomalous condition, the numerical representation being based at least in part on the code path; and

after assigning the exception record to the second development entity, automatically assigning the exception record to a third development entity when the context information satisfies a post-filter.

14. The multi-tenant system of claim 13, wherein the exception management system is configured to display a graphical representation of the record within an application on a client device coupled to the exception management system over the network, the graphical representation indicating the development entity assigned to the record.