System, method and computer program product for communicating data between a database and a cache

• US 9,111,006 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Calahan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US13/049,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/101, 707/103, 707/201, 707/4, 705/7, 711/118, 711/141, 711/135, 711/202, 709/203, 709/214, 709/227, 709/220, 709/205, 715/205, 717/171
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for communicating data between a database and a cache. These mechanisms and methods for communicating data between a database and a cache can enable improved application quality and performance, enhanced client application interaction, increased system performance, etc.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for communicating data between a database and a cache, the method comprising:

identifying a database of a system;

associating a cache separate from the database with an application residing within a browser;

retrieving an object stored in the database in response to a request for the object;

retrieving metadata describing the object from the database;

storing the retrieved object and metadata in the cache;

providing the object and the metadata from the cache to the application;

identifying a change made to the metadata stored in the cache, the change in the metadata being made by a user utilizing the application; and

asynchronously updating the metadata stored in the database according to the identified change.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the application is a feature provided by the system.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the application includes a graphical approval process editor that enables customers of the system to add, remove, view, or manipulate one or more approval processes utilizing a visual user interface.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the approval process interface manages a description of each approval process.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the cache includes a client-side cache external to the system.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the cache provides one or more interface components of the application with the object from the database of the system.

7. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the cache provides user interface (UI) components of the graphical approval process editor with a view of objects of the database that comprise an approval process.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a network connection exists between the database and the cache.

9. A method, comprising:

identifying a database of a system;

associating a cache separate from the database with an application residing within a browser;

retrieving an object stored in the database in response to a request for the object;

retrieving metadata describing the object from the database;

storing the retrieved object and metadata in the cache;

providing the object and the metadata from the cache to the application;

identifying a change made to the metadata stored in the cache, the change in the metadata being made by a user utilizing the application; and

asynchronously updating the metadata stored in the database according to the identified change.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor for;

identifying a database of a system;

associating a cache separate from the database with an application residing within a browser;

retrieving an object stored in the database in response to a request for the object;

retrieving metadata describing the object from the database;

storing the retrieved object and metadata in the cache;

providing the object and the metadata from the cache to the application;

identifying a change made to the metadata stored in the cache, the change in the metadata being made by a user utilizing the application; and

asynchronously updating the metadata stored in the database according to the identified change.

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

transmitting code for identifying a database of a system;

transmitting code for associating a cache separate from the database with an application residing within a browser;

transmitting code for retrieving an object stored in the database in response to a request for the object;

transmitting code for retrieving metadata describing the object from the database;

transmitting code for storing the retrieved object and metadata in the cache;

transmitting code for providing the object and the metadata from the cache to the application;

transmitting code for identifying a change made to the metadata stored in the cache, the change in the metadata being made by a user utilizing the application; and

asynchronously updating the metadata stored in the database according to the identified change.