Data reporting framework across on-premise and hosted CRM services

• US 9,152,966 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gore, Abhijit, Agarwal, Abhishek, Garg, Kunal, Jagadeba, Ramani, Malpani, Ankit, Vishwanath, Adithya, Rajasekaran, Kulothungan, Bothra, Manjeet, Miller, Andrew, Shutt, David, Martinez, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US13/099,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 707/810
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services

Abstract

A data reporting framework that works across on-premise and hosted Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms enabling definition and execution of secure custom reports is provided. A fetch query language of a CRM platform is used along with reporting service tools and constructs to enable users to upload and execute custom fetch based reports with support for expressions, code, formatting, and drill through. Users are also enabled to build simple reports from within CRM and, if needed, enhance those reports using reporting service tools and re-upload in CRM. Furthermore, custom reports may be executed in a sandboxed environment to provide full security in a multi-tenant, hosted CRM system.

Claims

1. A method for providing a data reporting framework in a hosted, multi-tenant Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, comprising:

receiving a report request with one or more of;

a password, user credentials, or a pre-installed cookie associated with a user;

executing data sets for the requested report at a reporting service of the CRM system in a sandboxed manner by employing fetch statements to query at least one database, wherein the reporting service executes the data sets by providing parameters and a CRM user context to a database reporting service data connector through an in-process call, and the database reporting service data connector fetches data from the CRM system employing a fetch extensible markup language file and the CRM user context and fetches data from the at least one database employing a database query and the CRM user context;

providing the user with a report schema developed to include fields with associated data, and deployed on a database reporting service server such that the user is enabled to select one or more of the fields relevant to the user within the report schema to generate the requested report;

enabling, through a business intelligence development tool executed by an authoring server of the CRM system, an upload and execution of custom reports with support for at least one from a set of;

expressions, code, formatting, and drill through;

enabling the user to author and preview fetch based reports before the reports are uploaded to a requesting web application through an authoring module of the business intelligence development tool that connects to a public web service endpoint of the CRM system; and

providing the requested report to the requesting web application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to define a custom report with multiple data sets employing fetch query language through the business intelligence development tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fetch statements are translated to structured query statements in a transparent manner to the requesting web application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling usage of code elements and expressions through the sandboxing of the reporting service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to view fetch based reports through a non-CRM client application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to author fetch based reports by providing a set of inputs through a report wizard.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

enabling the fetch based reports created through the report wizard to be downloaded and enhanced at a business intelligence development tool.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

load balancing among available servers of the CRM system to effectively manage report viewing requests.

9. A hosted, multi-tenant Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system capable of supporting a fetch based data reporting framework to be executed on a computing device, the system comprising:

a CRM server executing;

a web application configured to receive report requests from a user and provide fetch based reports to the user;

an object model defining a collection of objects and classes through which the web application examines and manipulates portions of the CRM system; and

a CRM database reporting service object model configured to define objects specific to the fetch based data reporting framework;

a reporting service server administered via a web interface configured to;

execute a reporting service to;

receive a report request with a user context and report name from the web application;

execute data sets for the requested report by employing fetch statements to query at least one database, wherein the data sets are executed in a sandboxed manner by separating the executed data sets from simultaneously executed programs for security;

evaluate expressions of a custom requested report, wherein usage of the expressions is controlled in the sandboxed manner to enable secure implementation of reporting features by the multi-tenant CRM system similar to reporting features of an on-premise CRM system;

provide the requested report to the web application; and

manage one or more components associated with the reporting service including;

a database service reporting server connector, a fetch data processing extension and database service reporting server configuration files; and

an authoring server configured to execute a business intelligence development tool that is adapted to;

in conjunction with a fetch report authoring module, connect to a public web service endpoint of the CRM server;

enable the user to define a custom report with multiple data sets employing fetch query language;

enable an upload and execution of custom reports with support for at least one from a set of;

the expressions, code, formatting, and drill through; and

enable the user to author and preview fetch based reports before the reports are uploaded to the web application through the fetch report authoring module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein report viewing requests are proxied to the reporting service server through the CRM server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a private web service endpoint of the CRM system is employed for enabling the reporting service server to communicate with a plurality of CRM servers in order to fetch data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the reporting service server is further configured to:

enable users to create, deploy, and manage reports for their organization, and provide programming features for extending and customizing reporting functionality.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one database is a Structured Query Language (SQL) database and fetch statements are translated to structured query statements in a transparent manner to the web application.

14. A method for providing a data reporting framework in a hosted, multi-tenant Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, the method comprising:

enabling users to define a custom report with multiple data sets employing fetch query language via a web interface executed by a CRM server;

receiving a report request with a user context and report name from a web application at a reporting service executed by a database reporting service server;

executing data sets for the requested report by employing fetch statements to query CRM data stores and translating fetch statements into structured query language statements to query structured databases, wherein the execution of the data sets is controlled in a sandboxed manner by separating the executed data sets from simultaneously executed programs for security;

evaluating expressions of a customized requested report, wherein usage of the expressions is controlled in the sandboxed manner to enable secure implementation of reporting features by the multi-tenant CRM system similar to reporting features of an on-premise CRM system;

else

providing the user with a report schema developed to include fields with associated data, and deployed on the database reporting service server such that the user is enabled to select one or more of the fields relevant to the user within the report schema to generate the requested report;

enabling the user, through a business intelligence development tool, an upload and execution of custom reports with support for at least one from a set of;

the expressions, code, formatting, and drill through;

enabling the user to author and preview fetch based reports before they can be uploaded to the web application through an authoring module of the business intelligence development tool that connects to a public web service endpoint of the CRM system; and

providing the requested report to the web application.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

enabling the users to create at least one from a set of;

interactive, tabular, graphical, and free-form reports from one of a relational, a multidimensional, and an XML-based data source; and

enabling the users to at least one from a set of;

publish the reports, schedule report processing, access the reports on-demand, select a viewing format, export a report to a non-CRM application, and subscribe to published reports.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the report is processed through one of:

server processing, where the report is rendered by and obtained from a reporting service, and local processing, where an XML based report file is rendered by a client application.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the report is generated in an XML based language and includes at least one from a set of:

a connection query, a fetch data source description, a fetch query, formatting information, parameters, embedded images, and metadata.