Systems and methods for generating a dashboard in a multi-tenant database system environment

• US 9,021,374 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Sola, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US13/076,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 715/763
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for creating a dashboard in multi-tenant database environment is provided. The method may include, but is not limited to receiving, by a processor, positional data and one of a component type and a data source within a database in the multi-tenant database environment for a dashboard object via a first drag and drop operation, receiving, by the processor, the other of the component type and the data source within the database in the multi-tenant database environment for the dashboard object via a second drag and drop operation, and generating, by the processor, display data for the dashboard based upon the dashboard object in real time based upon the received component type, the received positional data and the received data source.

Claims

1. A system for creating a dashboard in a multi-tenant database environment, comprising:

a database shared between multiple tenants and configured to securely store tenant based data that is commonly accessible to users represented by a first tenant of the multiple tenants and isolated from users of the other tenants; and

a processor communicatively connected to the database, the processor configured to;

generate display data for a component interface, wherein the component interface includes icons corresponding to a plurality of different component types;

generate display data for a data source interface, wherein the data source interface includes a list of a plurality of different data sources within the database that are accessible by a user of the first tenant;

receive positional data for one of a selected component type and a selected data source within the database for a dashboard object via data from a first drag and drop operation from the corresponding component interface or data source interface;

generate display data for the dashboard based upon the received position of the one of the selected component type and the selected data source;

receive the other of the selected component type and the selected data source within the database for the dashboard object via data from a second drag and drop operation when the second drag and drop operation drops the other of the selected component type and the selected data source onto the generated display of the first of the selected component type and selected data source from the corresponding component interface or data source interface;

generate display data for the dashboard based upon the dashboard object in real time based upon the received selected component type, the received positional data and the received selected data source;

receive login data associated with a user of a second tenant viewing the dashboard;

determine if the selected data source is a variable user dependent data source;

locate data for the variable user dependent data source corresponding to the login data, wherein the located data is from a different data source that corresponds to the selected data source; and

create display data for the dashboard object based upon the selected component type and the located data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive data from a third drag and drop operation based upon a user'"'"'s interaction with the component interface or data source interface;

determine a position corresponding to the third drag and drop operation based upon the received data from the third drag and drop operation;

determine if an existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position; and

create a second dashboard object at the determined position if no existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

update the existing dashboard object based upon data associated with the third drag and drop operation when the existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position of the third drag and drop operation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate a component type with the created dashboard object when the received data from the third drag and drop operation is associated with a component type.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate a data source with the created dashboard object when the received data from the third drag and drop operation is associated with a data source.

6. A method for creating a dashboard in a multi-tenant database environment, comprising:

generating, by a processor, display data for a component interface, wherein the component interface includes icons corresponding to a plurality of different component types;

generating, by the processor, display data for a data source interface, wherein the data source interface includes a list of a plurality of different data sources within a database that are accessible by a user of a first tenant, wherein the database is shared between multiple tenants and configured to securely store tenant based data that is commonly accessible to users represented by the first tenant of the multiple tenants and isolated from users of the other tenants;

receiving, by the processor, positional data for one of a selected component type and a selected data source within the database in the multi-tenant database environment for a dashboard object via a first drag and drop operation from the corresponding component interface or data source interface;

generating, by the processor, display data for the dashboard based upon the received position of the one of the selected component type and the selected data source;

receiving, by the processor, the other of the selected component type and the selected data source within the database in the multi-tenant database environment for the dashboard object via a second drag and drop operation from the corresponding component interface or data source interface when the second drag and drop operation drops the other of the selected component type and the selected data source onto the generated display of the one of the selected component type and selected data source; and

generating, by the processor, display data for the dashboard based upon the dashboard object in real time based upon the received selected component type, the received positional data and the received selected data source;

receiving, by the processor, login data associated with a user of a second tenant viewing the dashboard;

determining, by the processor, if the selected data source is a variable user dependent data source;

locate, by the processor, data for the variable user dependent data source corresponding to the login data, wherein the located data is from a different data source that corresponds to the selected data source (par.

     39); and

creating, by the processor, display data for the dashboard object based upon the located data for the variable user dependent data source and the selected component type.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, data from a third drag and drop operation based upon a user'"'"'s interaction with the component interface or data source interface;

determining, by the processor, a position corresponding to the third drag and drop operation based upon the received data from the third drag and drop operation;

determining, by the processor, if an existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position; and

creating, by the processor, a second dashboard object at the determined position if no existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating, by the processor, the existing dashboard object based upon data associated with the third drag and drop operation when the existing dashboard object is associated with the determined position of the third drag and drop operation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating, by the processor, a component type with the created dashboard object when the received data from the third drag and drop operation is associated with a component type.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating, by the processor, a data source with the created dashboard object when the received data from the third drag and drop operation is associated with a data source.

11. A computer implemented method, comprising:

generating display data for a workspace;

generating display data for a dashboard creation utility, the display data comprising a component interface and a data source interface, wherein the component interface includes icons corresponding to a plurality of different component types and the data source interface includes a list of a plurality of different data sources within a database that is part of a multi-tenant database system, the data sources being accessible by a user of a first tenant, wherein the database is shared between multiple tenants and configured to securely store tenant based data that is commonly accessible to users represented by the first tenant of the multiple tenants and isolated from users of the other tenants;

receiving data from a first drag and drop operation wherein the user has dragged and dropped a one of the plurality of icons corresponding to a selected component type from the component interface for a dashboard object from the dashboard creation utility onto a position on the workspace;

creating the dashboard object at the position on the workspace;

receiving data from a second drag and drop operation wherein the user has dragged and dropped a data source within the multi-tenant database system from the data source interface for the dashboard object from the dashboard creation utility onto the dashboard object on the workspace;

generating, in real time, a dashboard at the position in the workspace based upon the received component type and data source;

receiving login information for a user of a second tenant of the multi-tenant database system;

updating the dashboard based upon the login information, wherein the updating comprises;

determining if the data source is a variable user dependent data source dependent upon the login information; and

locating, when the data source is the variable user dependent data source, data for the dashboard based upon the login information, wherein the located data is from a different data source that corresponds to the data source;

creating display data for the dashboard object based upon the located data and the selected component type.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

creating, when a position associated with the second drag and drop operation is different than the position associated with the first drag and drop operation a second dashboard object at the position on the workspace associated with the second drag and drop operation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating display data for a component editing interface; and

updating the dashboard in real time based upon editing data received at the component editing interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating display data for a component editing interface further comprises:

determining a component type associated with a selected dashboard object; and

generating display data for a component editing interface based upon the determined component type.