Custom entities and fields in a multi-tenant database system

• US 9,043,362 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Craig, Wong, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, ELIYAH STONE
• Application Number:
  US13/281,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.101, 707/790, 707/791
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2264 Multidimensional index structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2462 Approximate or statistical queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task

Abstract

Systems and methods for hosting variable schema data such as dynamic tables and columns in a fixed physical database schema. Standard objects, such as tables are provided for use by multiple tenants or organizations in a multi-tenant database system. Each organization may add or define custom fields for inclusion in a standard object. Custom fields for multiple tenants are stored in a custom data column within the object data structure, and this single custom data column may contain different data types for each tenant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of storing multiple fields for multiple tenants in a single multi-tenant data structure, comprising:

defining a multi-tenant data structure having a plurality of custom data columns and at least one organization identifier (ID) column that stores a tenant ID value;

defining a first data field for a first tenant, the first data field having a first data type;

defining a second data field for a second tenant, the second field having a second data type, wherein the second data type is different than the first data type;

for each of the first and second fields, storing corresponding data type definition in a definitional data structure; and

when records having data values in the first and second fields are created for the first and second tenants, respectively, storing the data values of first and second fields to a single custom data column in the multi-tenant data structure, wherein the single custom data column includes data values having different data types for different tenants as defined by the definitional data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the single custom data column in the multi-tenant data structure; and

for each of the first and second fields, storing the location in the definitional data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the definitional data structure has an organization id column, the method further comprising:

determining a tenant id for each of the first and second tenants; and

for each of the first and second tenants, storing the respective tenant id in the organization id column of the definitional data structure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing; and

storing, in the definitional data structure, an indication that the at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an indication of the data type corresponding to each of the first and second fields in extensible markup language (XML) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data values of first and second fields are stored in the single custom data column as text in a canonical format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a definitional data structure having one or more columns; and

in response to an indication from one of the first tenant and the second tenant that data in the first data field or the second data field, respectively, be unique, copying the data values stored in the single custom data column corresponding to the first data field or the second data field, respectively, to a column in the second definitional data structure.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for controlling a database system to store multiple fields for multiple tenants in a single multi-tenant data structure, the code comprising instructions to:

define a multi-tenant data structure having a plurality of custom data columns and at least one organization identifier (ID) column that stores a tenant ID value;

define a first data field for a first tenant, the first data field having a first data type;

define a second data field for a second tenant, the second field having a second data type, wherein the second data type is different than the first data type;

for each of the first and second fields, store corresponding data type definition in a definitional data structure; and

when records having data values in the first and second fields are created for the first and second tenants, respectively, store the data values of first and second fields to a single custom data column in the multi-tenant data structure, wherein the single custom data column includes data values having different data types for different tenants as defined by the definitional data structure.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code further comprises instructions to:

determine a location of the single custom data column in the multi-tenant data structure; and

for each of the first and second fields, store the location in the definitional data structure.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the definitional data structure has an organization id column and the code further comprising instructions to:

determine a tenant id for each of the first and second tenants; and

for each of the first and second tenants, store the respective tenant id in the organization id column of the definitional data structure.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, the code further comprises instructions to:

determine at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing; and

store, in the definitional data structure, an indication that the at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, the code further comprises instructions to store an indication of the data type corresponding to each of the first and second fields in extensible markup language (XML) format.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data values of first and second fields are stored in the single custom data column as text in a canonical format.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the code further comprises instructions to:

define a second definitional data structure having one or more columns; and

in response to an indication from one of the first tenant and the second tenant that data in the first data field or the second data field, respectively, be unique, copy the data values stored in the single custom data column corresponding to the first data field or the second data field, respectively, to a column in the second definitional data structure.

15. A multi-tenant database system, comprising:

a database for storing multi-tenant data objects; and

a database management process configured to;

define a multi-tenant data structure having a plurality of custom data columns and at least one organization identifier (ID) column that stores a tenant ID value;

define a first data field for a first tenant, the first data field having a first data type;

define a second data field for a second tenant, the second field having a second data type, wherein the second data type is different than the first data type;

for each of the first and second fields, store corresponding data type definition in a definitional data structure; and

when records having data values in the first and second fields are created for the first and second tenants, respectively, storing the data values of first and second fields to a single custom data column in the multi-tenant data structure, wherein the single custom data column includes data values having different data types for different tenants as defined by the definitional data structure.

16. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the database management process is further configured to:

determine a location of the single data column in the multi-tenant data structure; and

for each of the first and second fields, store the location in the definitional data structure.

17. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the definitional data structure has an organization id column and the database management process is further configured to:

determine a tenant id for each of the first and second tenants; and

for each of the first and second tenants, store the respective tenant id in the organization id column of the definitional data structure.

18. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the database management process is further configured to:

determine at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing; and

store, in the definitional data structure, an indication that the at least one of the first data field or the second field has been flagged for indexing.

19. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the database management process is further configured to store an indication of the data type corresponding to each of the first and second fields in extensible markup language (XML) format.

20. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the data values of first and second fields are stored in the single custom data column as text in a canonical format.